NFL CAREER – This nine-year NFL veteran will compete for a roster spot in the preseason on both offense and on special teams. Tate comes to New Orleans after playing for the New England Patriots (2009-10), Cincinnati Bengals (2011-15) and Buffalo Bills (2016-17). Originally a third round draft pick (83rd overall) of the Patriots in 2009 out of North Carolina, Tate has played in 126 career regular season games with 20 starts and has caught 71 passes for 1,099 with seven touchdowns. He's also returned 200 punts for 1,909 yards (9.5 avg.) and one touchdown and brought back 247 kickoffs for 5,890 yards (23.8 avg.) and two touchdowns. In 2017 for the Bills, the Burlington, N.C. native played in 13 games with one start and posted six receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown and returned 20 punts for 193 yards (9.7 avg.) and 28 kickoffs for 548 yards.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Signed by Saints, 8/1/18; Re-signed by Bills to a one-year contract, 3/20/17; Signed by Bills, 9/6/16; Released by Cincinnati Bengals, 8/30/16; Re-signed by Bengals to one-year contract extension, 3/4/16; Re-signed by Bengals to one-year contract, 4/1/15; Re-signed by Bengals to one-year contract, 3/11/14; Re-signed by Bengals to one-year contract, 3/25/13; Claimed off waivers by Bengals from New England Patriots, 9/4/11; Waived by Patriots, 9/3/11; Placed by Patriots on Reserve/Injured, 11/14/09; Activated by Patriots from Reserve/PUP, 10/24/09; Placed by Patriots on Reserve/PUP (knee), 8/31/09; Signed by Patriots, 7/23/09; Originally selected by Patriots in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.
HONORS – 2011: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week Eight)..
2017 – In 2017 for the Bills, played in 13 games with one start and posted six receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown and returned 20 punts for 193 yards (9.7 avg.) and 28 kickoffs for 548 yards. 2016 – In first season for the Bills, played in 15 games with one start and carried three times for 48 yards with a career-long 30-yard rush, caught eight passes for 117 yards, returned 29 kickoffs for 662 yards (22.8 avg.) and 26 punts for 301 yards. 2015 – In his final season in Cincinnati, played in Games 1-16 and in Wild Card playoff...Logged two receptions for 59 yards, including a 55-yard TD, 27 punt returns for 171 yards (8.0 average) and 18 KORs for 413 yards (22.5 average)...On Sept. 20 vs. San Diego, 17-yard PR to Chargers 38 set up a TD drive for a 24-13 lead...On Oct. 4 vs. Kansas City, made stellar 55-yard TD catch, with leaping grab near five-yard line and scramble into end zone after falling untouched to the turf...Also vs. Kansas City, downed a punt at Chiefs one-yard line...One catch for four yards Nov. 5 vs. Cleveland...Had a 58-yard KOR, longest by Bengals of the season, on Nov. 22 at Arizona, helping set up TD drive in fourth quarter. 2014 – Played in Games 1-16, and in Wild Card playoff...Caught 17 passes for 193 yards with a TD, and also had three rushes for 21 yards...Averaged 22.1 yards on 18 KORs and 9.7 yards on 18 PRs...Started Games 5-7 at WR...One catch for 50 yards, on pass from WR Mohamed Sanu, on Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta...Started at WR and caught four-for-38 with a five-yard TD on Oct. 12 vs. Carolina, and had one rush for nine yards...On Dec. 14 at Cleveland, his 30- yard PR in second quarter set up a 36-yard TD drive...In playoff-clinching win, Dec. 22 vs. Denver, his 49-yard PR to Broncos 22 in the fourth quarter set up FG that put Bengals ahead to stay at 30-28. 2013 – Played in every game for the Bengals...Saw brief action on offense and had one catch for six yards...Averaged 26.1 yards on 35 kickoff returns and 9.3 yards on 36 punt returns...In overtime, Oct. 13 at Buffalo, set up the Bengals offense at the Bills 33-yard line with a 29-yard punt return, and three plays later, K Mike Nugent kicked a game-winning 43-yard field goal...On Oct. 27 vs. New York Jets, his 71-yard kickoff return to the Jets 29-yard line set up a touchdown in a 49-8 win...Averaged 25.6 yards on five KORs in Wild Card playoff on 1-5-14 vs. San Diego. 2012 – Played in every Bengals game, logging 13 catches for 211 yards and one TD...Also played in Wild Card playoff...His 16.2-yards per-catch average led the team...Averaged 8.9 yards on 21 punt returns and 24.8 yards on 32 kickoff returns...Three-for-71 receiving in win Sept. 16 vs. Cleveland, including a 44-yard TD in the third quarter...On Oct. 14 at Cleveland, had 32-yard punt return that set up a TD...In playoff-clinching win on Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh, had a 23-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 24-yard line on a shovel pass in the second quarter, setting up a Cincinnati field goal. 2011 – Played in all 16 Bengals games, plus Wild Card playoff...Saw action primarily on special teams, averaging 10.6 yards on 51 punt returns (eighth in AFC), with one TD, and 23.8 yards (seventh in AFC) on 42 kickoff returns...Named the Week Eight AFC Special teams Player of the Week for performance Oct. 30 at Seattle, when his 186 total return yards included 56-yard punt return for a TD...On Dec. 18 at St. Louis, his 56-yard punt return in the third quarter set up a Cincinnati TD for a 13-6 lead. 2010 – Led the New England Patriots with an 18.0-yard reception average, catching 24 passes for 432 yards and three TDs...Ranked third in the AFC and sixth in the NFL in kickoff return average, with a 25.8-yard average on 41 attempts...Returned a second-half kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown Sept. 12 vs. Bengals...Returned second-half kickoff 103 yards for TD Oct. 4 at Miami, second-longest KOR in Patriots history...Had three catches for 101 yards (career yardage high) on Oct. 31 vs. Minnesota, including 65-yard TD that was Patriots' longest scrimmage play of season...Two TD receptions in regular-season finale 1-2-11 vs. Miami, for 40 and 42 yards. 2009 – Third-round Patriots draft pick was limited by injuries to two games...Played his first game Oct. 25 against Tampa Bay, atLondon, England's Wembley Stadium, and he had an 11-yard rush plus two KOR for 22.0 average...Placed on Reserve/Injured list Nov. 14.
COLLEGE – Left North Carolina with NCAA record for combined career punt and kickoff return yards (3523), despite missing the final seven games of 2008 senior season...Set Atlantic Coast Conference records for both career kickoff returns (109) and career kickoff return yards (2688)...In 2006 vs. Duke, became the ninth player in NCAA history to return a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in same game…Communications major
PERSONAL - Attended Cummings (Burlington, N.C.) HS, where he was a three-year starter in football and basketball...Helped lead basketball team to a state title as a junior, playing guard…Played against Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry in AAU basketball…First job was working at Wendy's…Born October 5, 1987 in Burlington, North Carolina.
